At many institutions, accessibility policy isn't built around what compliance will actually cost but around what feels like a reasonable budget request. That perception quietly becomes policy: enough captioning to avoid the most obvious risk, and audio description only when an accommodation request comes in.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison rejected that approach. Instead of shrinking the ask to fit expectations, the team defined what full video accessibility compliance really entails, analyzed what it would cost, and made the case for it as the path to the best outcomes for students, not just risk avoidance. The result was a multimillion-dollar, institution-wide commitment to video accessibility, sustained by automated workflows that don't depend on ongoing effort from faculty and administrative staff.

In this fireside chat, Ruben Mota, ADA Coordinator at UW-Madison, shares how his team built the case, why they established up front that automatic speech recognition alone wouldn't be enough, and how they designed a program built to last. You'll leave with a practical framework for making the same case at your own institution.

Submit your questions in advance or bring them live on the day.